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Governor signs HALT Solitary Confinement Act into law
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People gather outside the governor s mansion to take part in a celebration and rally in response to the passage of the HALT Solitary Confinement Act by the New York Legislature on Sunday, March 21, 2021, in Albany, N.Y. Those taking part in the event called on the Governor to sign the bill immediately to end the practice of solitary confinement. (Paul Buckowski/Times Union)Paul Buckowski/Albany Times Union
ALBANY Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo signed the HALT Solitary Confinement Act into law late Wednesday night, which places new restrictions on the practice in the state, including a ban on holding people in solitary for more than 15 days.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed legislation Wednesday that will end prolonged solitary confinement in state correctional facilities.
The HALT Solitary Confinement Act will limit the use of segregated confinement for incarcerated people to 15 consecutive days, according to the legislation. It will take effect in one year.
Segregated confinement for more than 15 days is considered torture, according to the Nelson Mandela Rules that were adopted by the United Nations. Generations of incarcerated men and women have been subjected to inhumane punishment in segregated confinement with little to no human interaction for extended periods of time and many experience emotional and physical trauma that can last for years, Cuomo said in a statement.
Cuomo signs legislation limiting solitary confinement in state institutions
Updated Apr 01, 12:52 PM;
Posted Apr 01, 12:52 PM
The interior of the former Arthur Kill Correctional Facility is shown Thursday, Aug. 31, 2017. (Staten Island Advance/Shira Stoll)Staff-Shot
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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. New York took a major step Thursday limiting its use of solitary confinement in the state’s jail and prison systems.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the Humane Alternatives to Long-Term (HALT) Solitary Confinement Act after it passed the the State Legislature.
Cuomo said the legislation will “usher in a safer, more just” New York.
“Generations of incarcerated men and women have been subjected to inhumane punishment in segregated confinement with little to no human interaction for extended periods of time and many experience emotional and physical trauma that can last for years,” the governor said.